I'm here to say I survived, free from ruin. It's no longer my habit to consume a liter of beer unless I'm in Ireland. So I consumed probably 80% of those beers over two hours, along with the sample of spirit I'd obtained from Peatin' Meetin' 2014.

Okay, let me take a step back. Schlenkerla is a pub in Bamberg, Germany that has become well known for the rauchbier (or Smoked Beer) that they brew onsite. Rauchbiers get their smoky character from malted barley dried over open flames. The damp barleycorns absorb some of the characteristics from the resulting smoke......which may sound a little familiar to peated whisky fans. And the good news is, Schlenkerla has started to experiment with distilling their smoky beers.

After escaping with a sample of the Rauchbier spirit last month, I wasn't sure what to expect from the stuff, nor what should accompany it. With some quick research I discovered that a few of Schlenkerla's rauchbiers have made their way to the US. So I bought the two that I found at a local store so that I could match them up with the spirit.

Here's the Twitter pic again, cleaned up.

In the back are the beers, Urbock (6.5%abv) and Marzen (5.1%abv). Up front is the spirit (40%abv). I'm not a beer connoisseur, but I do like beer a lot. The fact that these two aren't pushing 9% or 10% abv (as many American craft beers have been doing lately) is also much appreciated. The Urbock and Marzen do not need a higher alcohol content since their flavors are quite potent already.

Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchier MARZEN (5.1% ABV)Color -- Similar to the Urbock.Nose -- Mesquite chips, pre- and post-barbecue. Stout-ish. Some coffee and dirty hay notes. After some time there's a full note of vegetable oil burning in the fryer.Palate -- Grainier than the Urbock. Very refreshing actually, with a mild sweetness, roasted coffee, and honey. Occasionally feels like a very low ABV bourbon cask Ardbeg.Finish -- Here's the bacon, alongside a little bit of coffee and hops.

Verdict: Winners, both. Urbock is darker in nature, perhaps a bit too much of a wallop for a summertime beverage, but probably a killer on a rainy night. Marzen is lighter and could work during all seasons. They each run about $5-$6 per half liter bottle. I will be buying them again.

Aecht Schlenkerla Smokemalt Rauchbier Spirit (40% ABV)Color -- Medium gold, with quite a bit of unfiltered schmutz floating around.Nose -- Very big and bright considering its alcohol content. Black licorice, cinnamon candy, oatmeal, and baked raisins.Palate -- Intensely herbal, like a hoppy eau-de-vie. That's followed by apple and cinnamon with lots of pepper and clove. Sweet anise candy. Sometimes seems like a second cousin to a good rye spirit.Finish -- Caramel apples with cloves. A hint of smoke and bacon.

Grade Range: B-/B
I really liked this, but I'm not comfortable grading it higher until I have a larger sample to reference. It's mostly a raw eau-de-vie style spirit. The refill whisky barrels give it some color but rarely interject. There's much less smoke here than in the beers, but the palate and nose are just as aggressive in their own way.

The price on the Smokemalt Spirit will scare away most customers; $110 for a 750mL bottle. Most of us are not in the habit of paying that sort of money for a three-year-old whisky. But it's not whisky. This is a different creature, one not frequently available in this part of the world. As always, I recommend you try before you buy it, if that is humanly possible with this thing. And, perhaps, if you do some googling you may find half bottles for $55...